The Lead

While officials caution that they aren't certain of the cause of last week's blast in New York's East Village, it is highlighting a long-known problem with potentially deadly consequences: untrained schemers rigging up pipes to save money by siphoning natural gas.

The cost of cleaning up radioactive waste at one of the federal government's premier nuclear laboratories has already exceeded expectations and more cost overruns are expected, according to a report released Monday by a government watchdog.

In Texas, the cars derailed Saturday evening near Valley Mills, a town about 25 miles northwest of Waco. Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman Trooper D.L. Wilson said that about four homes were evacuated.

The factory is equipped with a massive battery storage, a smart power supply system, an efficient gas engine disconnected from the grid, banks of solar panels, and rows of huge LED light fixtures suspended from the ceiling. The plant also stores its own natural gas, food and water.

“Whenever there’s a high-magnitude incident, a lot of people ask, ‘Why didn’t we see this coming? Why was [the plant] built so close to houses?’” Scott Harris recently told Chem.Info. “It’s not a well understood community issue.”

North Dakota saw eight oilfield employee deaths since October, a five-month total than exceeded the number for the previous 12-month span. October also coincided with the beginning of a decline in the number of oil rigs operating in the state.

The hardwood flooring retailer said customers who request the test kits would have the results from accredited laboratories within seven to 10 days. The company said it would evaluate the need for further testing should the kits show high chemical levels.

The researchers said the system could find cracks in important structures such as pipelines, aircraft engines and power plants. Further development of the technology could also improve medical imaging and seismology.

The intent is to improve consumer safety with updated laws and regulations of toxic chemicals, and on face value, the bill seems to accomplish just that. But not everyone agrees on whether the provisions go far enough.